So far it looks like things could have been a lot worse. My motto is prepare for the worse and hope for the best.

Based on recent reconnaissance flights into the hurricane, the maximum winds found were lower than 120 mph. But the NHC decided to maintain the major category strength. There is some good physiological logic in doing so. If the media starts advertising a weakening hurricane, people will be more likely to lower their guard and start doing unsafe things.

So far the highest wind gust on land I saw was just over 100 mph at Cape Canaveral. It was measured on a sensing station that was 50 meters in the air which is higher than the normal 10 meters that wind is typically measured.

Warnings have been discontinued for southern 1/3 of the state.

Later today and tomorrow the fun heads north to Georgia and South Carolina coasts. Even as the storm continues to weaken, it will still have damaging winds and drenching rains and storm surge flooding.